Uncoupling device for coach draw-bars



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I A. L. MOHLER. UNGOUPLING' DEVICE FOR COACH DRAW BARS.

No. 591,868. Patented Oct. 19,1897.

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AQL.MOHLER. UNGOUPLING DEVICE FOR COACH DRAW BARS.

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NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADAM L. MOHLER, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

UNCOUPLING DEVICE FOR COACH.DRAW-BARS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591 ,868, dated October 19, 1897.

Application filed April 3, 1897- .To. all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ADAM L. MOHLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Uncoupling Devices for Coach Draw-Bars; and I do hereby de-' clare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention has for its especial object to of said hand-lever must throw the draw-bar.

from its coupled to its uncoupled position. From its required location the lever must necessarily be short. From these facts it follows that the available leverage is not large. In practice it often requires two men to operate said lever for the uncoupling action. Uncoupling is especially difficult and sometimes impossible when the cars are standing on curves, because of the excessive friction between the coupled parts.

The object of my invention is to overcome the above-named defects by the provision of an uncoupling device which will afiord a large leverage and be convenient and reliable in action.

To these ends my invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices couplersto which my improved uncoupling devices are attached, some parts of said car Serial No. 630,548; (No model.)

being broken away and the trucks being removed. Fig.2 is a view, principally in plan, but with some parts broken away, showing one end or platform of the coach illustrated in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view, with some parts broken away and others shown in section, illustrating, on an enlarged scale, the principal details of my improved uncoupling device; and Fig. 4 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, illustrating the action of the pawl-lever when moved into an extreme position.

1 indicates the body of the coach, which is provided with the ordinary end platforms 2, steps 3, end sills 4, and draft-timbers 5. The couplers shown involve each a draw bar 6, which terminates at its outer end in a coupler-head 7, to which a pin-locked cam-shaped coupling-beak 8 is pivoted. The inner ends of the draw-bars 6 are secured in the ordinary manner to thedraft-timbers 5 by means of a pivot-pin 9.

My improved releasing or uncoupling device will now be described.

CL indicates a bracket, the upper flange of which is rigidly secured to the under side of the end sill 4 by means of nutted bolts a. The lower flange of the bracket to is provided at its outer end with an upturned bearinglug a through which and the side web of said bracket a a spindle or pivot-bolt b is passed and rigidly secured, as shown, by means of a nut 17. On this spindle or shaft 1) a Windlass cis loosely mounted. The forward end or hub of the windlass c is left round for ashort distance, and is then formed polygonal in cross-section, as shown at c. A ratchetwheel cl, which is provided with a polygonal central passage, is fitted onto the polygonal portion 0 of the Windlass c, and is thereby caused to turn with said Windlass. A handoperated pawl-lever f, which, as shown, is bifurcated at its lower end, is pivotally mounted on the projecting cylindrical hub portions of the Windlass c, with its prongs straddling the ratchet-wheel d. Just below the crotch formed by theibifurcation of the lower end of the lever f a pawl f is pivotally mounted on a pin f ,--which is passed through the prongs of said lever. This pawl f works over the teeth of 1 the ratchet-wheel cl. pawl-lever f is provided, at its upper end, with a pivoted'finger-lever f which is con- The nected with the pawl f by means of a rod f and is subject to the action of a leaf-spring f which tends to throw said finger-lever outward and to hold the pawl f in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel d.

The Windlass c is connected to the head 7 of the draw-bar 6 by means of a flexible connection, preferably in the form of a chain g. The ratchet-wheel d maybe moved in one direction by means of the lever f and pawl f; and it will be held from return or unwinding movement by means of the gravity-actuated retaining-pawl 7c, which is pivoted, as shown at k, to suitable lugs or projections from the bottom flange of the supporting-bracket ct. The free end of the retaining-pawl 7c lies in the path of the lever-pawl f, and is somewhat extended and provided with an end notch 15 into which the free end of the leverpawl f is adapted to engage, when said lever f is given an extreme movement in the direction of its uncoupling throw. By this extreme movement of the lever f the retainingpawl may be released or disengaged from the teeth of the ratchet-wheel d, thus freeing the windlass and permitting the chain g to be unwound and the draw-bar 6 returned to its normal position, under the action of the spring 10. As shown, the pawl-lever f works, at its intermediate portion, between parallel guide-irons 11, which are secured together and onto the forward edge of the end sill 4:. Said lever f, when out of use, may be held in a vertical position by means of a pivoted or u hinged latch-plate p, which is hinged to a companion plate p,secured on the end sill 4, and is notched or cut out at its free end, as shown at 19 to receive and straddle the said lever f.

The action of my improved uncoupling device is probably obvious from the drawings and the description of the details hereinbefore given. The general operation and advantages of the same, however, may be briefly summarized. The coupling action is, of course, that of the ordinary Miller couplers, which is well understood.

1 To uncouple the cars or to set the couplers for uncoupling, when the cars shall be drawn apart, my improved uncoupling device is operated as follows: The retaining latch or hinge p is thrown back from the hand-lever f, and the said hand-lever is then operated, with a succession of short throws, for winding the flexible connection or chain g onto the drum or spool c. In these actions of the hand-lever fits pawl f works, of course, on the ratchet-wheel d; and the said ratchet-wheel d, together with the drum 0, is held in whatever position it may be set by the retaining-pawl k. By thus introducing a pawl-andratchet device, with Windlass and chain, and utilizing a series of short throws of the hand-lever, instead of a single long throw, as done with the old hand-lever, it is obvious that a compara tively large leverage is rendered available for pulling over the draw-bar. Hence, one man can easily operate the said hand-lever and effect the uncoupling under all conditions. Vhen it is desired to release the draw-bar from the uncoupling device, the pawlf' is lifted by gripping the finger-piece f at the head of the hand-lever f, and the hand-lever is then thrown outward to an extreme position, which will have the effect of throwing off the retaining-pawl 7c and causing the pawl of the hand-lever to engage with the notch k of the retaining-pawl, and thus holds the retaining-pawl away from the ratchet-wheel cl. As quick as this is done the draw-bar spring 10 will become operative to instantly throw the draw-bar into its coupling position,

' thereby, of course,unwindin g the chain, ready for use when again required in the uncoupling action. The hand-lever f is then brought back to its normal position and locked by the latch or hinge p, which action will permit the gravity retaining pawl k to return to its nor malposition in engagement with the ratchetwheel d.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided an uncoupling device of extremely simple construction, which is convenient and reliable, and will enable one member of the crew always to efiect the uncoupling action with ease. Vith this device cars may be uncoupled while a train is in motion; and this is very important, especially when a flying-switch is to be made.

By my improved uncoupling device, therefore, the loss of time to the crews, the delays of the train, and the annoyances to passengers, incidental to the old uncoupling devices, are entirely overcome. The feature of annoyance occasioned by uncoupling cars at night, when the passengers are, of course, usually asleep, has long been noted. Furthermore, the element of accident which is incidental to the operation of the old forms of uncoupling devices is eliminated by my invention. With these old forms of uncoupling devices it is necessary to hold the lever in its uncoupling position until the uncoupling action has been effected; and then,when the lever is released, it will be thrown violently into its normal position under the action of the heavy spring, which returns it, together with the drawbar, as already noted. movement of the old form of lever is dangerous. As already pointed out in my improved uncoupling device, the coupler may be drawn into its uncoupling position and there held until the cars have been drawn apart; and when the coupler is released by an extreme movement of the lever the said lever is not Obviously, this returnreturned with the said coupler, but is subseof application to other forms of couplers, and to railway cars in general, by properly disposing and guiding the flexible connection from the Windlass-drum.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. The combination with a coupler, of an uncoupling device for the same, involving a ratchet-wheel with intermediate connections to said coupler, a retaining-pawl for holding said ratchet-wheel from return movement, and a pawl-lever cooperating with said ratchet-wheel and operative, by an extreme movement, to disengage said retaining-pawl from said ratchet-wheel,substantially as described.

2. The combination with a coupler, of an uncoupling device for the same, involving a Windlass, a ratchet-wheel rotatable with said Windlass, a flexible connection from said Windlass to said coupler, a retaining-pawl normally holding said ratchet-wheel from return movement, and a pawl-lever cooperating with said ratchet-wheel and operative, by an extreme movement, to disengage said retaining-pawl from said ratchet-wheel, substantially as described.

3. The combination with a coupler, of an uncoupling device for the same, involving a supporting-bracket, a fixed spindle or shaft mounted in said bracket, a windlass loose on said spindle and provided with a projecting hub, a portion of which hub is cylindrical and a portion of which is polygonal in crosssection, a ratchet wheel mounted on the polygonal portion of said hub, a pawl-lever mounted on the cylindrical portion of said hub and provided with the driving-pawl and releasing device for the same, a gravity-0perated retaining-pawl, normally holding said ratchet-wheel against return movement and provided with a projecting portion which extends in the path of said driving-pawl, and

ADAM L. MOHLER.

Witnesses:

B. B. NELSON, F. DJDIERCHANT. 

